New Releases by Jo Knowles

In this authentic and heartfelt middle-grade novel, Maple uses her artwork to help sort through sibling relationships, school drama, and her parents’ increasingly fraught marriage. Ten-year-old Maple can’t wait for summer: No more math! Adventures with her friends! Best of all, she and Dad are finally going to build a real treehouse. Or are they? Lately Dad has been quick to storm off when he argues with Mom, which happens more and more. Maple seeks refuge in her sketchbook, filling it with comics and other drawings and posing the questions she can’t bring herself to ask anywhere else. She imagines “Dadlandia,” a place that Dad whooshes off to when he’s gone. Maple confides in her favorite tree—her namesake—that she wishes Dad would come home for good. But eventually, Maple will need to step outside her imagination and confront what’s happening for real. For that, she will need support from friends and family—and strength and courage from within. Celebrated author Jo Knowles delivers complex characters and emotions with care, while illustrator Glynnis Fawkes’s powerful illustrations perfectly capture Maple’s creative spirit, her struggles, and her capacity for hope.

"Ivy loves living in Applewood Heights. The family''s apartment is tiny, and her older sister Rachel won''t stop grumbling about sharing a room after their old house was lost to foreclosure. Ivy finds much-needed reassurance, and a boost of confidence, when she starts working with the building superintendent. Ivy has a natural talent, but she comes to realize that some things--like hurt feelings--are harder to fix than others as she tries to figure out exactly where she''s meant to be"--

A musical treat for the ear and eye, this antic tale of a worm on a mission doubles as a cozy bedtime book. One summer day, as Little Worm heads out to play, he discovers he has a song stuck in his head. “What’s that you’re singing?” Owl asks, but Little Worm can’t say. He wriggles past, determined to learn who filled his head with “Shimmy shimmy, no-sashay.” Owl flaps along with a song of his own, and before long Chipmunk, Bunny, and Fox fall in line, each contributing an ear worm to the joyful cacophony. Amid all the singing and dancing, Little Worm forgets his musical mystery until later when—surprise!—Papa Worm tucks him in. Hip, vintage-inspired illustrations and whimsical typesetting meet movement, sound play, and comic, cumulative delights in a picture book that will charm media-savvy children and their parents alike.

If home is where the heart is, what would happen if you lost it? Compassion and humor infuse the story of a family caught in financial crisis and a girl struggling to form her own identity. It’s the first day of summer and Rachel''s thirteenth birthday. She can''t wait to head to the lake with her best friend, Micah. But as summer unfolds, every day seems to get more complicated. Her “fun” new job taking care of the neighbors’ farm animals quickly becomes a challenge, whether she’s being pecked by chickens or having to dodge a charging pig at feeding time. At home, her parents are more worried about money than usual, and their arguments over bills intensify. Fortunately, Rachel can count on Micah to help her cope with all the stress. But Micah seems to want their relationship to go beyond friendship, and though Rachel almost wishes for that, too, she can’t force herself to feel “that way” about him. In fact, she isn’t sure she can feel that way about any boy — or what that means. With all the heart of her award-winning novel See You At Harry''s, Jo Knowles brings us the story of a girl who must discover where her heart is and what that means for her future.

In a return to middle-grade fiction, master of perspectives Jo Knowles depicts a younger sibling struggling to maintain his everyday life when his older sister is in crisis. Noah is just trying to make it through seventh grade. The girls are confusing, the homework is boring, and even his friends are starting to bug him. Not to mention that his older sister, Emma, has been acting pretty strange, even though Noah thought she’d been doing better ever since the Thing They Don’t Talk About. The only place he really feels at peace is in art class, with a block of clay in his hands. As it becomes clear through Emma’s ever-stricter food rules and regulations that she’s not really doing better at all, the normal seventh-grade year Noah was hoping for begins to seem pretty unattainable. In an affecting and realistic novel with bright spots of humor, Jo Knowles captures the complexities of navigating middle school while feeling helpless in the face of a family crisis.

After a messy break-up, Rafe is left heartbroken and emotionally destroyed. Any romantic interests are shoved aside as he continues to doubt his self-worth. His best friend continues to push him back into a normal life, but how can someone recover from a toxic relationship? A mystery girl appears in the woods one day and seems to be just the cure for long-term celibacy. When the past comes knocking can she also be the one to save Rafe from falling back into the darkness?

The baby growing inside Thalia was definitely not human. Not entirely, at least. She knew this because of the rapidness with which the child inside her was growing. In a month, she looked like a woman who was already nine months along. Then it stopped growing. It stopped moving too, and she was scared. The looks of scorn and disdain from the women in the village turned quickly to concern when they realized that Thalia''s excitement and anticipation morphed to real fear and anxiety. "I think it is dead," she said to Lathan one night when they were alone, having had a string of people in and out of their house, many of them just coming to see the woman who had fallen pregnant by an animal. Their curiosity was natural, Lathan and Thalia knew, and so they allowed this. "It''s just resting, allowing you the time needed to prepare yourself for the birth. That''s what I think," Lathan said"Don''t worry. The child is fine. It is just tired, from its development. You are but a month with child and look nine, so don''t be anxious, my dear." Rachel set her mind at ease. Thalia had seen what she could do, and she trusted her with every part of her being. Then Rachel was looking at Lathan. She seemed to see right through him, seeing him for what he really was. Lathan felt exposed, and he felt very vulnerable. Why did this woman threaten him so? "I need to speak with your husband alone," she said, and she walked out into the night. "Who are you?" he asked, needing clarity. "What are you?" she asked, clearly not going to answer his question. "I think you know..." he said. "I do, but I need you to say it!" Rachel spoke calmly, but there was a definite urgency in her voice. "Werewolf," he said, clearing his throat. "I''m a werewolf," he said, clearer now. "And she?" Rachel continued."She''s human. Or at least, she was. Now I''m not sure what she is," Lathan said, the words cutting him deep as they came out of his mouth. "The child inside her is a boy. He is like his father, very much. She will birth it with great difficulty," Rachel said."What can I do, to make it easier for her," he asked instead. "She will give birth at the next lunar cycle. The child will not trouble her until then. She will have the strength to bear the child, then. But you must not lay with her, not until she has given birth." Rachel sounded like she was giving him an instruction now that was the most important thing she had to say to him. Lathan wanted to ask her why, but Rachel disappeared into the forest towards the river, singing over and over again, "The very same that put it in will draw it out... The very same that put it in will draw it out... The very same that put it in will draw it out... The very same that put it in..."

Lathan brought his fangs down onto her back, and she arched. As he rubbed his hardness against her with more intent, she stole the moment. She lifted her back and felt the pierce. Thalia hoped that he didn''t notice this, because if he did, then that would certainly bring an immediate halt to proceedings. And the last thing she wanted was for him to stop. He parted her lips with his tip but didn''t push. He knew that the sheer size of him would really cut her in half. Lathan just held himself in place, and hope that she would drop herself back on to him, letting him into her. He really wanted this, something, anything. But he wasn''t sure if she could give. Not this much, anyway. The poison had started to make its way into her bloodstream and she was writhing now. It felt like burning. Not fire, not water, not the sun. It felt like a fierce combination of all three and she held on to the side of the bed. She pushed herself back, and part of him slipped inside her. This was not her intention, but he was glad for it. He didn''t move, not noticing that she was in pain; that the poison was moving so quickly into her body and through her body that she kept slipping in and out of consciousness. Again, she pushed hard onto the bed and pushed herself harder onto his swollen member. More of him was suddenly inside her and he was surprised. He looked down at her and stopped dead. The pierce marks were visible on her back, two tiny marks, trickling with blood. He knew what this was, and immediately he hated himself. He pulled himself out of her and pounced off the bed. He let out a spine chilling howl and looked away from her. He couldn''t look at her. What he had done, what she was about to become, was a fate worse than death, to him at least. Thalia wanted it, but she was ill-prepared."Wait, it''s okay..." she said when she realized that he realized what had happened. "No," he growled, the first audible word since his shifting. "Yes, yes, don''t you see? This way I can have your baby, our baby..." Thalia said, the burn really taking a hold of her now, so that she couldn''t move, not voluntarily at least. She moved, writhing in pain, curling up on the floor and then trying to stand up. Lathan couldn''t watch her, but knew that he had to. He knew that he had done this to her, and so he would have to stay by her side until it was done. It could last hours, it could be days. There was just no way of knowing...

"I''ve missed you," he said, rubbing the side of her face with his long, thin fingers. She had missed his touch, too. Ella rested her face in the palm of his hand as he moved closer to her. She let him hold her, and it felt safe like she was home. She knew, though, that she had to be careful not to let her emotions get the better of her. They had decided to give a real relationship a try now, and she knew that they had to take it slow.Franco''s hands moved deliberately over her, removing her clothes as they went. She couldn''t wait for him to get naked, not wanting to rush it though. She moved her hands over his shirt buttons, undoing them as she went. His bare chest was muscular, inviting.They were both naked, kissing each other all over, sending electricity through each other''s bodies quickly.Ella suddenly understood what Blake had meant. As Franco kissed her on her mouth, moving her to the large bed in the center of the room, she thanked Blake, silently.

Why is juicing for health so important? When you drink live juices the cells are flooded with life giving nutrients. Are there foods that can prevent or maybe even cure cancer? Yes! One of the most important ingredients from live plants is the active enzymes that your body uses to transform nutrients into a usable form for cellular health and growth. If I had to select one part of a plant based diet that would be the most important, it would be juicing!When you drink fresh, live juice, it''s almost like receiving an intravenous infusion of vitamins, minerals, and enzymes because they go straight into your body without needing to be broken down. Since juicing is essentially "mainlining" live nutrients, it''s no surprise it can produce rapid and profound health benefits.

Coffee and cake are the only luxuries Kate allows herself. Every Friday afternoon after work, she heads for Bella''s - the coffee shop around the corner from the office. If her favorite spot in the corner is open, she will snuggle into the easy chair and take a novel. At 5:30, Kate makes a quick stop at the ladies'' room before heading home. When she gets back to her nook, she glances down at her empty cup. YOU''RE BEAUTIFUL is written on the napkin next to the cup. "What?" asks Kate to herself. "Who could have put this here?" She glances back and her eyes meet those of a man she has never seen here before. He is tall with straight fiery red hair and brown eyes. Kate feels so self-conscious under his intent gaze that she fumbles with her bag and eventually drops it onto the ground...

He looked at her. His hair was still a mess and in the bright morning sunlight, he looked more handsome and more human than she had ever seen him. "I guess I''m asking you to trust me," he said. Thalia looked up at the clouds now, opening like a curtain to reveal the glorious orange orb in the sky, the full moon already forgot, still not sure, her heart still beating erratically. She knew what Lathan was, she had always known. She had seen him two nights earlier when the men in the village had captured him, seen the animal that he was. Lathan pulled her closer, through the bars of the cage that was now his home. Everyone in the village was glad that he was captured, glad that by the setting sun he would be dead. Thalia couldn''t help herself though, bringing him water. "I''m not an animal, trust me," he said again, and she looked down at the earth, wet, the grass wild. He was looking at her, into her. "You''re a werewolf," she whispered. She could think of nothing else to say.

He kissed her again, running the tip of his tongue, just the tip, between her lips, teasing her. His hand rubbed against the side of her face and with his other hand, he started to run his fingers at the point where her blouse and her jeans met. Then his fingers were on her skin, and she started to shudder. He ran his fingers gently along her belly and then grabbed a firm hold of her waist. He pulled her to him, landing his mouth on hers. He lay her down on the rug, coming down on top of her and beside her at the same time. She was nervous now, more nervous than she thought she would be. But it was too late...he had assumed full control.

As Hank settles down to sleep hours later, he imagines kissing Evelyn again, in that crowded saloon. But this time it is a slow kiss. He strokes her hair gently with his hands. It smells of roses. He touches her neck, and then kisses it tenderly, aware of the effect his stubbly beard has on her. He pulls her closer. Her generous breasts push right up against his chest. His arms are around her back, and then, he rolls them gently over her bountiful bottom. Both hands - he holds her buttocks in both hands and pulls her even closer against his ravenous body.

"Hush, my darling. Everything will be okay." He stretched out his arms and as he stands he draws Sofia near and holds her tight in his arms. She can feel his body - still cold from the night air. he takes her head in his hands and kisses her ravenously. She feels almost suffocated by his sudden presence but is intoxicated my the taste of his lips, his tongue, his skin. "I have missed you," says Jake. Sofia allows him to pull her even closer. jake lays her down on the bed, the moonlight accentuating her lithe legs, her full breasts discernible through her silky nightgown. "Beauty such as this I have never known before," says Jake in a low voice. "I''m almost afraid to touch it." "Come here," Sofia hears herself say.

Why is juicing for health so important? When you drink live juices the cells are flooded with life giving nutrients. Are there foods that can prevent or maybe even cure cancer? Yes! One of the most important ingredients from live plants is the active enzymes that your body uses to transform nutrients into a usable form for cellular health and growth. If I had to select one part of a plant based diet that would be the most important, it would be juicing! When you drink fresh, live juice, it''s almost like receiving an intravenous infusion of vitamins, minerals, and enzymes because they go straight into your body without needing to be broken down. Since juicing is essentially ""mainlining"" live nutrients, it''s no surprise it can produce rapid and profound health benefits.

The sampler includes chapters from Steve Watkins’s Juvie, John M. Cusick’s Cherry Money Baby, and Jo Knowles’s Living with Jackie Chan. Juvie Heart-wrenching and real, Juvie tells the story of two sisters grappling with accountability, sacrifice — and who will be there to help you after you take the fall. Cherry Money Baby Hollywood glitz collides with working-class aspirations in this satirical tale of an impulsive starlet and a sharp-witted small-town teen. Living with Jackie Chan After fathering a baby, a teenager moves in with his karate-loving uncle and tries to come to terms with his guilt — and find a way to forgive.

Does anyone ever see us for who we really are? Jo Knowles’s revelatory novel of interlocking stories peers behind the scrim as it follows nine teens and one teacher through a seemingly ordinary day. Thanks to a bully in gym class, unpopular Nate suffers a broken finger—the middle one, splinted to flip off the world. It won’t be the last time a middle finger is raised on this day. Dreamer Claire envisions herself sitting in an artsy café, filling a journal, but fate has other plans. One cheerleader dates a closeted basketball star; another questions just how, as a “big girl,” she fits in. A group of boys scam drivers for beer money without remorse—or so it seems. Over the course of a single day, these voices and others speak loud and clear about the complex dance that is life in a small town. They resonate in a gritty and unflinching portrayal of a day like any other, with ordinary traumas, heartbreak, and revenge. But on any given day, the line where presentation and perception meet is a tenuous one, so hard to discern. Unless, of course, one looks a little closer—and reads between the lines.

After fathering a baby, a teenager moves in with his karate-loving uncle and tries to come to terms with his guilt — and find a way to forgive. This isn’t how Josh expected to spend senior year. He thought he’d be hanging out with his best friends, Dave and Caleb, driving around, partying, just like always. But here he is, miles from home — new school, new life, living with his Jackie-Chan-obsessed uncle, Larry, and trying to forget. But Josh can’t forget. So many things bring back memories of last year and the night that changed everything. Every day the pain, the shame, and the just not knowing are never far from his thoughts. Why is he such a loser? How could he have done what he did? He finds some moments of peace when he practices karate with Stella, the girl upstairs and his one real friend. As they move together through the katas, Josh feels connected in a way he has never felt before. He wonders if they could be more than friends, but Stella’s jealous boyfriend will make sure that doesn’t happen. And maybe it doesn’t matter. If Stella knew the truth, would she still think he was a True Karate Man? Readers first met Josh in Jumping Off Swings which told the story of four high school students and how one pregnancy changed all of their lives. In thiscompanion book, they follow Josh as he tries to come to terms with what happened, and find a way to forgive.

An unflinching story of a troubled friendship -- and one girl’s struggle to come to terms with secrets and shame and find her own power to heal (age 14 and up). Leah Greene is dead. For Laine, knowing what really happened and the awful feeling that she is, in some way, responsible set her on a journey of painful self-discovery. Yes, she wished for this. She hated Leah that much. Hated her for all the times in the closet, when Leah made her do those things. They were just practicing, Leah said. But why did Leah choose her? Was she special, or just easy to control? And why didn’t Laine make it stop sooner? In the aftermath of the tragedy, Laine is left to explore the devastating lessons Leah taught her, find some meaning in them, and decide whether she can forgive Leah and, ultimately, herself.

Starting middle school brings all the usual challenges — until the unthinkable happens, and Fern and her family must find a way to heal. Twelve-year-old Fern feels invisible. It seems as though everyone in her family has better things to do than pay attention to her: Mom (when she’s not meditating) helps Dad run the family restaurant; Sarah is taking a gap year after high school; and Holden pretends that Mom and Dad and everyone else doesn’t know he’s gay, even as he fends off bullies at school. Then there’s Charlie: three years old, a “surprise” baby, the center of everyone’s world. He’s devoted to Fern, but he’s annoying, too, always getting his way, always dirty, always commanding attention. If it wasn’t for Ran, Fern’s calm and positive best friend, there’d be nowhere to turn. Ran’s mantra, “All will be well,” is soothing in a way that nothing else seems to be. And when Ran says it, Fern can almost believe it’s true. But then tragedy strikes- and Fern feels not only more alone than ever, but also responsible for the accident that has wrenched her family apart. All will not be well. Or at least all will never be the same.

One pregnancy. Four friends. It all adds up to a profound time of change in this poignant, sensitively written YA novel. (Age 14 and up) Ellie remembers how the boys kissed her. Touched her. How they begged for more. And when she gave it to them, she felt loved. For a while anyway. So when Josh, an eager virgin with a troubled home life, leads her from a party to the backseat of his van, Ellie follows. But their "one-time thing" is far from perfect: Ellie gets pregnant. Josh reacts with shame and heartbreak, while their confidantes, Caleb and Corinne, deal with their own complex swirl of emotions. No matter what Ellie chooses, all four teenagers will be forced to grow up a little faster as a result. Told alternately from each character’s point of view, this deeply insightful novel explores the aftershocks of the biggest decision of one fragile girl’s life -- and the realities of leaving innocence behind.